1. Field
The present invention relates to web conferencing, and in particular, browser based web conferencing employing layering to display screen updates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Web conferencing can be implemented by screen sharing a presenter's screen with attendees over the Internet. Various techniques have been disclosed to implement the screen sharing aspect, such as with a plug-in (e.g., Flash) that augments the basic operation of a web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc.). However, if the plug-in is not pre-installed on an attendee's computer, an attendee typically must download and install the plug-in before joining a meeting. Downloading a plug-in increases the setup time and complexity for an attendee to join a meeting. In addition, the attendee's computer (or gateway server) may have firewall software installed that may inhibit or further complicate the download and installation of the plug-in. Yet another problem is that an attendee may be hesitant to download and install a plug-in for fear of downloading a virus.
An alternative technique employs the basic functionality of a browser to implement screen sharing (browser based web conferencing) which obviates the need to download a plug-in. Thus, any attendee with an appropriate browser installed can join a meeting by simply launching the browser and visiting the designated web site. However, several drawbacks have been identified with browser based web conferencing, such as the comparatively slow response time to transmit screen updates from the presenter to the attendees.